I still think you will get 2-4 weeks of a wintry pattern but that may occur in February or even March/April in some diluted fashion. I am feeling more confident that this winter will grade out as average at best and possibly horrendous at worst. Grades will vary on the forum depending on if their yards got hit when we do shift to that wintry pattern. Unlike the NE that can pile up snow 40-60" in a short period of time the Lakes(outside of LES areas) and OV won't hence the great winter grades should already be off the table. Of course some may say one 20" blizzard makes a great winter. Not me..
"You can be mad as a mad dog about the way things went, you can curse the fates, but when it comes to the end, you just have to let it go," Benjamin Button
Not denying that. Just speculating that gradual warming could be responsible for both the recent above average snow totals and also the decline of snow averages over time as you reach a point where it gets just a bit warm on average to snow in our area. I just think that influence may come a bit quicker than some would like on this forum. At some point when you keep looking at global temp map averages that are almost completely red and yellow with just a couple blue patches it will catch up with you. But this is for another topic.
Thats just because more moisture is becoming available further north for areas like Marquette and International Falls. Chicago and MSP have benefitted in the last decade but continued warming will inevitably lead to lower snow totals over time. Beginning with southern areas first then working their way north. Chicago becomes St. Louis. MSP becomes Chicago. St. Louis becomes Little Rock. The areas that will benefit the most and the longest will be up along the Canadian border and the provinces of Canada
Most likely we will still receive that 2-3 weeks of winter sometime between now and late April. The question is when and none of the gurus know nor does anyone looking at models past 2 weeks. One of these times the EPS and the more clueless GEFS will show cold and it will verify but only after all kinds of false positives.
December snowfall prediction of not reaching double digits as a seasonal total looking good. Over/under on January finishing with 15" or less total is now on the table.
Or it could be the models provide false cold till the end of January or early February. A question: At what point does delayed but not denied become too late. As in at some point nah just keep your 3 weeks of winter. What if it doesn't really come till late February or early March. For me if this winter is still worthless by Jan.20th forget it. Laughable for how wet its been all year long for us to dry out as you head into winter. ie Nov. Dec. well below normal precip. wise
I look forward to these types of posts. Its like holiday tradition watching Lampoons Christmas Vacation or a Christmas Story. The lamenting of disappointing climate is part of weather ritual just as putting up the tree,hanging lights, or caroling.